ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – The Supreme Court on Thursday suspended the Peshawar High Court’s decision that granted Pakistani citizenship to an Afghan man based on his marriage to a Pakistani woman.
The ruling came during the hearing of a case regarding the issuance of the Pakistan Origin Card (POC) to Afghan citizens.
A three-member bench, led by Justice Shahid Waheed, was informed by Additional Attorney General Rana Asadullah that the federal government had filed an appeal against the PHC's ruling dated December 1, 2023. The high court had ruled that Afghan men marrying Pakistani women should be eligible for the Pakistan Origin Card and citizenship. However, the government has raised objections concerning the citizenship provision.
During the hearing, Justice Musarat Hilali inquired about the basis on which citizenship can be granted and questioned how many applications had been filed. The additional attorney general said that 117 applications had already been received.
NADRA's lawyer clarified that Afghan citizens marrying Pakistani women would also need a valid visa, to which Justice Hilali emphasized the importance of checking whether someone had entered the country legally or illegally.
The apex court has issued notices to the parties involved and suspended the high court’s decision, adjourning further hearings of the case.